Liquid-seal closure device for vertical distillation retorts



J, METERS Jan. 19, 1932.

LIQUID SEAL CLOSURE DEVICE FOR VERTICAL DISTILLATION RETORTS Filed Marh2o, 1928 T/'l ////,////I Patented Jan. 19, 1932 JULIEN rrrirnns, forraars, FRANCE Fier , JIIQUID'i-SEAL CLOSURE DEVICE FOB- VERTICALDISTILLATION RETORTS 4Applicanton filed March 20, lSB, Serial No,263,169, and in France March 30, 1927.

The present invention relates to a liquidseal closure device forvertical,distillation re- `torts, consisting ot' a trough or gutter ofquadrangular, shape, delimiting the discharge 5 opening and enclosingWater constituting the liquid seal,into Which there dips thedownwardly-directed flange of a basin adapted to move in the manneroi aslide valve with horip Zontal movement under exerted upon one of its theaction of a pull beine able to travel at its other end over in- I n`clined planes so as to be raised progressively,

to be freed from the trough or' gutter, to take up a horizontal positionand to uncover| the discharge opening` by its further horizontal dislacement. i y

hopper, delivering in front of this discharge opening, is continueddownwardly,

upon the side Where the slide valve `is to lift,`

0 by a door adapte-cl to oscillate and to slide rial, such as curved,Abottomvvhich shape ofa circular arc of the saine centre asverticallyfvvhen the slide valve is lifted in order to comeinto ahorizontal position, in such a Wayas to close the gap formed at the baseofthe hopper and necessary for the lifting movement ofthe slide valve. Y-This liquid-seal closure device may be combined with a device forretaining the material contained in vertical retorts for thedistillation of coal or other combustible matelignite, peat, bituminousshales, etc." This device has for its object to reduce toI the minimumthe force necessary for its operation and to econoinize the material bypreventing any crushing during itsclosure. For this purpose thedistillation chamber is extended at its lower end vby a gullet whichcomprises upon one of its sides a curved Wall presenting in sectiontheshape or' a circular aro, While it isV open upon the other side,fa`cing Which there is pivoted, upon the supporting base of, thedistillation chamber, a flap having the shape ot a basket, comprising apresents in section the that of the/opposite end Wall of thedistillation chamber-this bottom of the flap being adaptedtoplaoe itselfin prolongation of the curved surface constituting this Wall for adistance such that the material rests upon this Wall and upon this flapaccording toits natproduce its partial or ends, this slide valve Y thatthe material sliding over ural angle of slope7 Whilst in order to effectthe discharge from the distillation chamber, it suices to tilt this flapin such a Way as to total effacement behind the end Wall of the gullet.

vThe accompanying drawings represent by Way of example one form ofcarrying out the material-retainingI device and the liquidseal closuredevice. l Y

Figure l is a vievv in vertical section, along the line l-l of Figure 2,and

`Figure 2 is a vieW in vertical section` at 90o with reference to theforegoing that is to say along the line 2%2 of Figure 1.

lEach of the chambers a of the distillation chamber is extended, at itsbase, by a gullet comprising upon one of its sides a curved Wall 1,which presents in section the shape of, a circular arc; the other sideof this gullet' is open, the plane `of this opening b2 slightly inclinedto the vertical, in such a Way the curved Wall has a tendency to escapefrom the gullet through this opening under the action of gravity.-

Upon the supporting traine c of the distillation chamber, facing thisopening ,b2 of the gullet, there is pivoted at Z2 a skip or flap Zpresenting the shape oitl a basket, of Which the bottom d? is curved andpresents in section the shape of a circular arc having the saine centrethe curved Wall b1 of the gullet; the pivot or axis of articulation (Z2of this Hap is arranged laterally with regard to the chamber a of thedistillation chamber, in such a Way as not to prevent its clearing atthe moment of opening. The lateral cheek plates l of this tlap arearranged parallel to and externally of the corresponding Walls b of thegullet. A lever e, keyed upon one being l of the ends of the axis ofarticulation Z2 of rests, according to its natural angle of slope,

upon the surface of the curved wall o1 of the gullet and upon the bottomZ1 of the skip or basket; the latter must be raised more or less 5considerably, according to the angle of this slope. l

In order to effect a more or less partial discharge of the distillationchamber' a, it sufices to move backthe flap l L1 more or less behind thegullet b, the bottom Z1 of this basket thus placing itself beneath thecurved wall 121-, by actuating the operating lever e by hand.

The latter might likewise be actuated mechanically. This retainingdevice is preferably placed in the direction of the largest dimension ofthe distillation chamber, that is to say that the axis of articulationZ2 of the basket or skip cl (Z1 is arranged along a direction parallelto the direction of length of the distillation chamber.

It is easy to understand that the flap, during its movement forreturnino` to the position for retaining the material irom its positionof effacement, cannot grind or crush the material to be discharged,because this movement serves only to create a surface for supporting thematerial according toits natural slope, that is to say without the flapstriking against a surface of any kind.

"The material, passing through the opening b of the gullet uncovered bythe bottom Z1 of the basket d, falls into a hopper f g below a' box orcaisson g provided at its lower part with a trough or gutter g1 ofrectangular shape which defines an opening in the bottom of the box,containing up to a certain level, water intended to provide a liquidseal. This Atroughor gutterdelimits the discharge opening. Into thisgutter g1 there dips the downwardly directed flange /tl of an invertedbasin it; the latter comprises, along its longer sides, cheek plates ft2directed upwardly, upon 'which are journaled, externally of the basinIt, two pairs of rollers a', these rollers can run upon rails l fixed tothe walls of the caisson g, above the gutter g1, along the longer sidesof the latter. These rails are horizontal for the greater part of theirlength; near one of their ends, above the small sides of the gutter g1,they comprise inclined planes 2.

The basin It is connected, at the opposite end, to a rod h3, having ahandle h4; when, by means of the latter, a pull is exerted upon the.basin 7L, the latter can travel in the manner of a slide valve; at thestart of its movement, the rollers a' rising` upon the inclined parts 2of the rails il, will produce at rst a gradual lifting of the slidevalve basin 71 until the flange /tl is lifted completely above `theupper edge of the gutter g1 and the slide valve basin 7L comes to occupya horizontal r position. By continuing to pull by the han- 6 dle h4 uponthe slide valve 71 the latter is disand externally of the latter, thereis arranged placed horizontally by means of the rollers 'l upon therails l until the slide valve completely uncovers the discharge openingdclimited by the trough or rectangular gutter g1; the slide valve ittakes up a position in the lateral prolongation g2 of the caisson g,which possesses dimensions suiiicient to receive the slide valve in itsopen position.

At the base of the hopper f, facing the lower extremity of the slidevalve basin in the closed position, there is arranged a door la,suspended in such a way as to be able to oscil- 'late upon a horizontalspindle cl in guides 702 fixed to the lower part of the hopper f; thisdoor c can oscillate and travel vertically in these guides when theslide valve 7L lifts in rising upon its rollers z over the inclinedplanes 2 of the rails 1. This door prevents the fall of material beyondthe basin it, while allowing the vertical movement of the latter, forAkthe height necessary to free from the gutter g1 forming the hydraulicseal; this door 7c falls again by its own weight when the slide valve 7Lis pushed back, by means of the rod 7a3 tt, into the closed position'inwhich the slide valve basin returns to engage in the interior of thegutter g1, descending by means of the rollers i along the inclinedplanes Water is brought into the gutter, forming a liquid seal, by afitting g3 connected to the water pipe; drain pipes g4, connected to thebase of the caisson g, g1, g2, allow the cleaning of thel latter.

y rihis arrangement of liquid seal insures a very gas-tight closurepreventing any entrance of air, which is a condition difficult to fulfilfor vertical distillation retort-s, generally of great height.

What I claim is:

l. In a liquid seal closure device for a vertical retort having'an openbottom for the distillation of combustible material, the combination ofa casing having an open bottom, fixed in spaced relation under andadjacent the opening in the bottom of the retort and communicating withthe latter by means of the open top of said casing, a/trough ofquadrangular shape provided around the open bottom of lsaid casing so asto provide a container for a body of water, a basin constituting a slideValve mounted for sliding horizontal movement within said casing andsaid basin having portionsprojecting into said trough adapted to beseated in said Water to form a liquid seal.

2. In a liquid seal closure device for a vertical retort having an openbottom for the distillation of combustible material, the combination ofa casing arranged under and adjacent the openings in the retort, atrough of quadrangular shape located at the bottom of said casing, saidtrough delimiting the discharge opening in said casing and constitutinga container for water, the inner walls i Cil ` zontal sliding movementwithin said casing i secured to the casing above said trough and ofthetrough defining an opening in the bottom of the casing, a basin mountedorhoriserving as a slide valve, a downwardly directed flange along theedges ofsaid basin projecting into the water contained in saidquadrangular trough, stationary inclined `tracks secured to said casingupon which said slide valve basin may travel in order to raise or lowersaid downwardly directed flange upon said basin from or into" the waterin said trough to serve as a liquid tight seal closure.

3. In a liquid seal closure device for a vertical retort having an `openbottom for the distillation of combustible material, the combination ofa casing having an open bottom fixed in spaced relation under andadjacent the opening in the bottom of the rep tort and communicatingwith the latter by means of the open top of said casing, a 'trough ofquadrangular shape located at the bottom of said casing delimiting thedischarge opening and constituting a container for water,

Va basin mounted for horizontal sliding movement within said casingfunctioning as a slide valve, a downwardly directed flange undertheedges of said basin designed to tip into the water contained in saidquadrangular trough, rollers secured to said basin, rails extendinghorizontally along the sides of said trough, sald'ralls having at oneend thereof an inclination whereby upon movement of said rollers uponsaid inclination said slide valve basin will raise or lower said "iangefrom said. trough to form a liquid tight closure.

4. In a device as claimed in claim l, a hopper located above said slidevalve basin having an opening directed towards the discharge opening insaid casing and a door carried at the lower end of said hopper pivot- Jally mounted so as to oscillate and to slide vertically when the slidevalve basin is raised from `the trough.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.`

JULIEN PIETERS.

